Wednesday, February 15, 2006

LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) - The anti-U.S. campaign rhetoric is fading out of public statements by the new Bolivian government but its long-term ambition is alive and well: a new leftist movement known as "Evism" as part of an "axis of good" -- Bolivia, Venezuela, and Cuba.

"Evism" comes from Evo Morales, the first name of the Aymara Indian who won Bolivia's presidency after a campaign in which he described himself as a nightmare for the U.S. Evism joins "Fidelism" (after Cuba's Fidel Castro) and "Chavism" (after Venezuela's Hugo Chavez) on the list of Latin American "isms."

The phrase "axis of good" emerged from a meeting between the left-wing troika before Morales was sworn into office. It was meant to make a counter-point to U.S. President George W. Bush's characterization, four years ago of Iraq , Iran and North Korea as an axis of evil.

The new term swiftly entered the vocabulary of university students and the rank-and-file of Morales's Movement Toward Socialism (MAS) party. The three leaders were equally swift in strengthening the rhetorical axis with agreements ranging from energy to education.

Axis of good? Although many of the Hollywood elite look to Castro and Chavez as a teeny bopper looks toward a rock stars, I'm sure that many oppressed people would have different terms than "axis of good" to describe their oppressors.